Don't You Dare Compare JC with Manny!
Sure, its old news. But when you have a Phillies crazy family, old news like JC Romero's suspicious suspension becomes new news when good ol' Manny's antics bring it up again.
Last September, just as the Phil's were getting set for an exciting playoff series and, eventual World Series win, Phillies Pitcher JC Romero was randomly tested, twice, for drugs. The random testing is no big deal... all players can be and are randomly tested. But Romero was found guilty of an illegal drug in his system, as he had been taking a supplement purchased over the counter at GNC.
What followed, in short, were arbitration hearings; offers were made. The offers, however, required Romero to admit his guilt. He wouldn't, because he says he didn't do anything wrong. The fact that he took the supplements he willingly admitted. The fact that they were illegal is the problem... a gray area in fact. According to Peter Gammons of ESPN, when the supplement was purchased at a Cherry Hill GNC in July 2008, "The Major League Baseball Players Association had told players the supplement was acceptable." It wasn't until September, when JC's tests showed positive drug use that, the MLB changed their stance. And then it took until November 21 for the MLB to issue their warning to the player's association: "We have previously told you there is no reason to believe a supplement bought at a U.S. based retail store could cause you to test positive under our Drug Program. That is no longer true. We have recently learned of three substances which can be bought over the counter at stores in the United States that will cause you to test positive. These three supplements were purchased at a GNC and Vitamin Shoppe in the U.S."
Prior to taking it, Romero, in fact, cleared the supplement with doctors and a nutritionist. He wants his honor back. In stead, the MLB is making him sit out the first 50 games this season, and pay a $1.25 million fine (approximately 1/3 his salary.)
Manny Ramirez just recieved a 50 game suspension. The difference is that Ramirez was found to have a medication in his system that was already banned by the MLB. The drug had been prescribed by a physician for a "personal health issue. He gave me a medication, not a steroid, which he thought was OK to give me," said Ramirez. As a member of the MLB's Players Association, it was Ramirez's responsiblity to have the medication checked to ensure it was an approved medication. He didn't. His problem.
Fair? I don't think so. Romero was found guilty of taking a supplement that hadn't been found to be illegal by the MLB until after he had taken it. Ramirez was found guilty of taking a medication of a known illegal substance. And, yet, they get the same suspension and proportionately equivalent fines. And Romero's name is now mixed in to the media again for being suspended for drug use.
Poor guy... he is taking a fall, paying a fine and only wants to clear his name. Instead he's now associated with Ramirez's drug use. Which is totally out of Romero's ballpark.
A Philly Moms Blog original piece. When Julie Pron isn't clothed in red and yelling with her kids and husband for the Phillies, she's usually found blogging around the web. See her bio page for links to many of her writing escapades.
